Harald made his way back to Sweet Apple Acres after his busy morning and early afternoon. As he approached the house he took off his weapons, backpack and cloak, dropping them on the porch. Granny brought him out a bowl of vegetable soup and a glass of water. He gratefully at the meager lunch. When he finished eating, he passed the the dishes back. Granny Smith pointed with her hoof out to one of the orchards. "Big Mac'll be happy tug have another set o' hooves helpin' him out.", she said. Harald nodded his head in affirmation and bowed.
Harald made his way out the the orchard, seeing Big Mac working alongside a turquoise unicorn stallion with stark white mane and two crossed anchors as his cutie mark.
Big Mac seeing Harald walk up stopped bucking and gestured for the unicorn to follow him. As the two of them reached Harald, Big Mac gestured with his hoof, "Harald, High Seas, High Seas, Harald." He then turned back to bucking apples.
"Ay! How ya doin'?", High Seas said in a deep gravelly voice extending a hoof, "Tha name's High Seas Waves. So what block ya from?"
Harald grasped High Seas' forelimb tightly. "Harald Irontoothson and I apologize, I do not think I understand what you mean by...block.", he replied.
"What city did ya grow up in?", High Seas asked revising his question realizing Harald wasn't familiar Manehattan slang.
"Where I come from there aren't any cities to speak of, mostly villages and hamlets.", Harald said with a little more clarification of what the unicorn meant, "Though to outsiders it may look to be little more than a land of ice and snow, where a dim sun shines and cold winds blow."
The three of them were soon all harvesting apples. Big Mac bucked the trees, causing the apples to rain from the branches into the buckets, the ones that didn't fall in the buckets he picked up with his teeth. High Seas levitated the apples off the trees and into the buckets. Harald lacked unicorn magic, so he kicked a tree. The best he could muster was making it tremble slightly and make a couple of apples fall. Kicking the tree again with the same result, he sighed and shimmied up the tree and shook the branches with his hands or feet, causing apples to cascade off, sitting on the lowest branch he dropped roughly onto his feet.
As they reached the next batch of trees, Big Mac let Harald so he could be boosted into a tree. When Harald wasn't shaking branches or getting boosted into trees, he was helping pick up loose apples, stack full buckets and place empty ones around trees. Once they had finished with the last tree in the orchard, they stacked the buckets on the wagons and brought them to the barn. Harald had to modify one of the wagons so he could lean his weight into it properly.
In the barn they sorted the apples, they tossed the rotten ones or the ones eaten by bugs and worms into rusty dented buckets. Placing many of them into crates or boxes, they stacked them onto several wagons. Most of the wagons had a tiara painted on the side, two had a cake painted on the side. They loaded the broken apples or the ones too bruised into the masher which Sugar Bell and Red Delicious were operating. Big Mac stopped working long enough to tousle his son's name and kiss his wife. They loaded half the remaining apples into crates and the other half into the cider machine. After they had lugged crates into a cellar, Big Mac whistled to the house.
Granny Smith walked out to the barn slowly, followed by Babs pushing a carriage. When they entered the barn, the Apple family stopped working long enough to cop and giggle over the brown earth pony colt with sea green mane.
Harald walked over to the carriage and grinned broadly at the colt.
Babs stepped over to Harald, spit on her hoof and extended it. "So youah tha famous Harald? Name's Babs Waves. How ya doin'?"
Harald grasped Babs' forelimb tightly. "I fare well madame. Harald Irontoothson at your service."
Babs gestured to the colt in the baby carriage, "And this heah's my son, Whitecaps."
Harald held Whitecaps' gently between his fingers. "Greetings young one. Strength, health and prosperity upon you."
As they finished the afternoon chores, they all made their way inside. Babs changed and then started nursing the fussy colt. Granny Smith and Sugar Belle began making dinner. Big Mac directed Harald to the downstairs bathroom, "Go get cleaned up, we'll have supper ready soon." Big Mac turned to help his grandmother and wife with making dinner.
Entering into the bathroom, Harald undid his braids shaking them out. Striping down, he draped his tunic, pants and loincloth across the edge of the tub, he placed his boots by the door. Turning the shower on, he stepped in the tub, closing his eyes, he let the hot water cascade over his head and down his body. After Harald had finished washing himself, he began rinsing out his clothes, turning off the shower he wrung the excess water from his clothes. Stepping out of the tub, he grabbed a towel and dried the excess water from himself. Getting dressed, he stepped into his boots and headed downstairs. He retrieved the comb from his backpack and began to meticulously braiding his hair and beard.
"So Harry. Do ya mind if I call ya Harry?", Babs asked gently rocking the sleepy colt in her forelimbs.
Harald quietly shook his head.
"So Harry, why do ya braid youah mane?", Babs asked.
"I braid my hair and beard because it makes them easier to manage and keeps them out of the way.", Harald replied.
Babs nodded thoughtfully as she laid the sleeping colt in the carriage. High Seas trotted over, beamed down at his son and nuzzled his wife.
Soon dinner was served. As the ponies and human sat down to eat, the front door opened as Applebloom walked in wearing a temporary brace with prosthetic. She hung her constable's uniform on the coat rack. "Ah need a cold cider. Ah've had one Tartarus of a day.", she said getting a bottle of cider from the fridge. Sitting down at the table, she opened the bottle, took a sip and sighed, "On days like tuday Ah wish Ah could go back in time to when th' hardest thing ah had tuh do was figure out what crudasin' we was gonna do tuh figure out what our cutie mark was gonna be." She began eating dinner while sipping on her cider.
When they had finished eating dinner, Harald was helping put away the dishes as Applebloom finished her bottle of bottle of cider. There was a gentle knocking at the front door.
"Ah got it.", Applebloom said getting up. She dropped the empty bottle in a nearby crate and opened the door. "How can Ah help-oh hi Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy smiled gently as she pushed her mane behind her ear. "Hi Applebloom!", she said in a friendly tone, "Is Harald in?"
"Harald?", Applebloom called out, "Fluttershy here tuh see yuh."
Harald walks to the door at smiles at Fluttershy. "Good evening, Fluttershy.", he says.
"Good evening Harald.", Fluttershy says smiling back, "I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me on this evening.?"
"That does sound pleasurable.", Harald said bowing.
As the two of them walked off in the lengthening shadows of the evening, Applebloom gently closed the door and looked out the window. "Ah guess that one rumor Ah heard tuday was true.", she said closing the curtain, "Good fer both o' 'em."
A little over two hours later Harald returns to the farmhouse, his braids bedraggled and a goofy grin on his face. Babs snickers teasing him as she gets ready for her shift on night watch.
The next morning at around ten o'clock Applejack and Rainbow stagger through the front door.
"Could that door squeak any louder?", Rainbow whispers rubbing her temples with her wings.
"Aspirin?", AJ said softly as she chewed on a couple of aspirin herself.
Rainbow waves her off, "Not until my stomach settles."
Granny walked in the kitchen and said with a smirk, "Hi girls, have a good night?"
"My head is killing me and my stomach hates me right now, but totally worth it.", Rainbow whispered.
Applejack placed the empty jug by the door and asked, "Granny, is there any leftover breakfast?"
"There's some leftover eggs an' hash browns on th' counter an' as always a bowl o' apples on th' table."
Rainbow takes one look at the food, her face takes on a tinge of green as her stomach lurches. "Oh no!", she mumbles as she holds a hoof to her mouth. She runs to the bathroom in a blur and begins retching loudly over the toilet. Soon her retching gives way to dry heaves. "Come on stomach, either settle down or let something come up", Rainbow whimpers. A cold sweat beads up on her forehead and she lays her head on the seat. A sour burp comes out Rainbow's mouth followed by the splashing of vomit in the toilet bowl. "Oh sweet Celestia thank you!", Rainbow exclaims. Gasping for air, her muscles lock as her stomach violently lurches and she vomits loudly several times. Gasping for air, Rainbow spits a mouthful of bile and strings of saliva from her mouth. Staring at the pool of vomit in the toilet bowl, Rainbow wouldn't have been surprised if she saw her tail floating in the bowl. Rainbow's muscles lock again as vomit splashes several times in the bowl again. Soon her vomiting gives way to dry heaving. "Thank you dear merciful Luna.", Rainbow says weakly as her dry heaving subsidies. Reaching with her hoof she flushes the toilet and rinsed her mouth out at the sink. She slowly walks out to the kitchen table, sits down and chews on a couple of aspirin.
"Feel better?", AJ asks with a mouthful of food.
Rainbow shakes her head, "No, I just don't feel sick."
"Breakfast?"
"Ugh!" Rainbow turns her head away, she couldn't bear to look at food, much less think about it.
"So me an' Rainbow heard th' oddest rumor this mornin' on th' way back tuh th' farm.", AJ said shoving the last of her breakfast in her mouth, "Ponies are sayin' they saw Fluttershy an' Harald a-kissin' on each other and a-courtin' each other."
"Ah ain't seen no kissin', but Fluttershy did come a-courtin' Harald yesterday evenin'.", Granny Smith said from the other room.
"We'll ah say good on 'em both. Nopony deserves a special somepony more than Fluttershy.", AJ said putting her plate in the sink.
"I think we should congratulate them both for their relationship.", Rainbow said.
"Ah say we let her tell us when she's good an' ready. Yuh know how shy that mare can be.", Applejack said, "An' 'sides, Am'm pretty sure Harald's a pretty private fella, Ah mean look how he constantly keeps himself covered up under his clothes. He was even a lil self conscious when he didn't have his shirt on. Jus' give 'em their space an' they'll come to us when they're ready."
Rainbow nodded in agreement.
"C'mon Rainbow, let's get started on th' chores.", AJ said trotting out the door.
Rainbow followed her grumbling.
That evening and the next three evenings after dinner Fluttershy would arrive at the front door calling on Harald. Each evening would play out the same, Harald and Fluttershy would walk off together in the shadows of the evening. After a couple of hours Harald would return to the farmhouse with a disheveled appearance and a goofy grin on his face.
On the night of the feast several ponies were helping the Apple family set up several long tables and benches. Rarity had brought several tablecloths she had woven on the loom. Nearby several tables were set up for the ponies under the drinking age. Wood for bonfires had been stacked up in piles of varying size.
Harald admired the intricate patterns and colors in the tablecloths. "I am truly impressed Lady Rarity, your skill has surpassed what I could teach you.", Harald praised Rarity, "You skills with weaving are amazing."
"It was as you said darling, a few days practice and I even surprised myself on what I can do.", Rarity said, "I even borrowed a book from Twilight that had a few techniques and patterns that can be done on a loom."
The Apple family laid out baked apple goods on the tables. They set up barrels of apple juice, sweet cider and hard cider. They set up crates filled with bottles of sweet cider, hard cider and one-oh-five, they spread out jugs of Granny Smith's infamous triple-x liquor on the tables.
Ponies came from across Ponyville bringing platters, pots and a few kettles of food. Diamond Tiara brought a cart stacked with bottles of wine and beer from her own personal cellar, she also brought several jugs of Appleoosan Snake Bite whiskey.
Celestia and Luna flew came down from Canterlot on their pagasi-drawn chariots. They led a train of fifteen pegasi-drawn wagons. Twelve of the wagons were loaded down with Canterlot delicacies, many of which were made by the sister's own hooves and magic, the last three were loaded with casks of the princesses favorite vintages of Canterlotian wine.
Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, Lil Cheese and all four Cakes came each pulling a wagon. The wagons were stacked high with sweet rolls, cakes and other baked goods. The four remaining Pie sisters arrived with bags full of rock candy and three kettles of rock soup.
The Crystal Empire train pulls to the station. Cadance, Flurry Heart and Shining Armor disembark leading a procession of ten wagons. The first five wagons are loaded with Crystal Empire delicacies and the second five wagons are loaded with barrels of crystal berry wine.
After all the food and drink was stacked up, sideboards had to be set up to accomidate the excess. Celestia lowered the sun as Luna raised the moon, the bonfires were lit. The ponies and one human gathered at the tables. Drinks were poured into mugs, many of the adult ponies had opted for apple juice or sweet cider, most notably was Babs as she was still nursing her foal and all five of the Pie sisters because they had inherited their father's ill temper when drinking alcohol. Twilight got the attention of the crowd as she gestured for them to settle down. "I would like to thank you all for coming out and making tonight's feast a success.", Twilight said in a clear loud voice, "And I would to thank the Apple family for hosting tonight." A few ponies gave whooping cheers. Twilight chuckled, "Okay everypony, settle down. Before we get started with tonight's celebrations, Applejack and Pinkie each have something they would like to say." Twilight gestured her hoof to AJ,"Applejack?"
The ponies stamped their hooves, whooped cheers and whistled as Applejack stood up on the bench. She looked as if she was going to burst as liquid pride glistened in her eyes. "Ah'd like to that all y'all fer comin' out t'night. Ah'd also like y'all to join me in welcomin' th' newest member of the Apple clan, the son of High Seas an' Babs Waves, Whitecaps Waves." The two loving parents held up the sleeping colt. Applejack swallowed hard, blinking back more liquid pride. She held her mug up as her voice cracked, "To you Whitecaps. Salute, health, prosperity!" She took a sip.
"Salute, health, prosperity!", the crowd echoed back holding up their mugs and took sips. Applejack plopped down in her seat as liquid pride poured from her like a river. Rainbow rubbed her back, spoke softly in her ear and kissed her cheek.
Twilight gave Applejack several minutes to gather herself before continuing. She gestured her hoof to Pinkie, "Take it away Pinkie Pie!"
Ponies stamped their hooved, whistled and gave woofing cheers. Pinkie egged the crowd on, spinning her hoof, giving woofing cheers back. She suddenly held up a hoof silencing the crowd almost immediately. Pinkie held up a piece of paper and began reading what was on it, "Your average apple tree can take upwards of 30 years to full mature, once fully matured a single tree can produce nearly three million apples over the course of it's lifetime. Common pests that plague the apple tree are..." Cheese sandwich quickly stood up and turned the paper around, which resulted in laughter from the crowd. Pinkie began reading again, "To whom it may concern, dear sir or madame, we regret to inform you that your pet gopher has escaped and has gone missing..." The crowd roared with laughter as Pinkie ripped the paper into confetti, tossing it in the air. "Okay for realsies this time.,". Pinkie said grinning from ear to ear, "We have gathered here to welcome Harald Irontoothson to Ponyville.", Pinkie said holding up her mug, "Ponyville, the welcoming committee and the family of unparalleled premier party ponies, I'd like to say to Harald, welcome, health, prosperity!" Draining her drink, she placed the empty mug on her head.
"Welcome, health, prosperity!", the crowd echoed before draining their drinks and placing the empty mugs on their heads.
Pinkie pulled a little red button from her mane. "NOW LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! WOO!", she shouted as she pressed the button, several party cannons appeared firing confetti and streamers across the crowd.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as ponies heaped food on their plated and they refilled their drinks. musicians and phonographs began playing. Nearby Octavia began playing her cello, stopping only to take a swallow of liquor or a bite of her food. Fluttershy made her way to Harald, sitting next to him, she leaned her body into his side and smiled contently. Harald wrapped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her in tight, he occasionally popped food into his mouth or held some up for Fluttershy to eat happily.
Mugs of drink were laid in front of Harald and Fluttershy which they sipped, enjoying the closeness with each other.
Rarity walked up to the princesses levitating a bottle of hard cider in her magic. "Trotzle tov!", she toasted the princesses then took a drink.
"Trotzle tov!", Celestia and Luna toasted back, taking a drink.
"I didn't know you were Lunish Rarity.", Twilight said surprised.
"Quite Twilight.", Luna said, "Nearly a quarter of Equestria's population of ponies are Lunish. Many still make pilgrimages to the village of Neighzarreth where Tia and I were first discovered."
"Wow!", Twilight said breathlessly, "I'd like to participate in a Lunish ceremony some time, for intellectual purposes."
Rarity walked over and draped her forelimb across Twilight. "Well consider yourself lucky tonight Twilight Sparkle, my old friend." she said levitating a jug of liquor and popping the cork, "As my old Lawgiver Tuckman used to say, "There's good food, Good ponies, there's fresh air. there's birds, trees, animals, there's the sky, there the ground, so let's bless each other until we are frishnekdt!", so I say to you Twilight Sparkle, let's bless each other until we're frishnekdt." Rarity took a swig and passed the jug to Twilight. The two of them proceeded to "bless" each other.
Celestia chuckled, "It's good to see your old teaching still bearing fruit all these years later Lulu."
"Indeed it is Tia.", Luna replied, "Of course frishnekdt was always my favorite Hebronie word." Luna grabbed two bottles of hard cider in her magic, popped the lids off and offered one to Celestia.
Celestia gestured the bottle away, so Luna just shrugged and pounded both bottles down. Luna grabbed another bottle of hard cider and drank it down.
As the feast continued on Fluttershy and Harald refilled their mugs then retook their seats. A mischievous idea entered into Fluttershy's mind, she drained her drink and placed the empty mug on Harald's head. She began to giggle and snort uncontrollably.
Harald held the empty mug to his head as he drained his drink. He then placed the empty mug on Fluttershy's head. The two began laughing until the mugs fell off their heads.
Harald leaned back too far laughing. "Woop!", he exclaimed falling backwards off the bench.
Fluttershy grabbed his arm between her forelimbs, but found herself being pulled off. "Yeep!", she exclaimed as she fell sideways off the bench.
Laying on his back, Harald raised his head seeing Fluttershy laying across his chest.
Fluttershy lifter her head, seeing Harald looking down at her. She shifted her body and pressed her mouth into his, kissing him deeply. Harald slid his hands across her back as they kissed, holding her.
An inebriated Rainbow went to leap up off the bench to cheer Fluttershy on, but Cadance push her back down on the bench with her hoof. Cadance levitated a bottle of hard cider, popped the cap and shoved it into Rainbow's hooves.
Rainbow greedily accepted the drink, tipping her head back, she swilled the drink down and fell over backwards off the bench.
A very tipsy Applejack staggered over. "Rain *hic* Rainbow *hic* you're *hic* you're drunk *hic*!"
"Yyyyuuuup!", Rainbow slurred, "YYYooouuuuuu'rrrreee drrrruuunnnk ttttoooooooo."
"Ah'm not *hic* Ah'm not *hic*", Applejack tried to protest, "Yup! *hic*" She laid down and nuzzled up to her wife.
As the feast began to slowly wind down after a few hours, Fluttershy parted from making out with Harald and whispered in his ear, "Let's go somewhere more private." Helping Harald to his feet, the two of them begin slowly walking to her cottage, stopping to passionately kiss when their lips could not bear to be apart from each other.
Cadance watched the two slowly leave. She nudged Shining Armor who had his head laying on the table, a jug of liquor between his forehooves. "Look Shiny! Isn't that sweet?", she asked.
Shining raised his head slightly, "Maneuvers already? I just got ssskkkggggzzzzz....."
Cadance chuckled slightly as she watched them walk off. Prying the jug from her husband's grip, she toasted the couple. "May you have a long romance.", she said softly before taking drink. "Damn!", she exclaimed wincing, "That's really strong." Tears stung her eyes as the vapors from the liquor stung her nose.
The last stretch leading up the path to Fluttershy's cottage became slow going as their kissing became more passionate. The last few paces became incredible slow as fiery kisses were followed by hands and hooves exploring each other's bodies. Seemingly to lose fine motor skills to passion, Fluttersy was barely able to get her front door open. As they made it inside her cottage, they slammed the door and Fluttershy was able to momentarily able to part from the kiss. She quietly shooed the critters either up the stairs or out the small door installed in the kitchen door.
Fluttershy slid her hooves under Haralds tunic, lifted it over his head and tossed it off to the side. The combination of the sweat glistening on his chest and his musky, earthy aroma filling her nostril was driving her mad. She began to softly kiss his chest, tasting the saltiness of his sweat. As her kisses traveled up his chest, she reached his shoulder, gently nipping it. Harald roughly pinned Fluttershy to wall, tightly holding her hooves in his hands. He roughly kissed her neck, causing her to cry out in pleasure softly. "Harald,", Fluttershy whispered hoarsly in his ear, "I need you!"
Outside the cottage, there was a bright magenta flash. A very drunk Rarity and Twilight appeared. Twilight was levitating a dozen bottles of hard cider in her magic.
"Twinlilinkle!", Rarity slurred, "This isn't your castle either. I think you're drunk."
"Hey!", Twilight slurred belligerently, "You're not drunk, I'm drunk Rariririrty!" The two of them began to sputter and laugh. Twilight popped the tops off two bottles of hard cider and passed one to Rarity. They chugged the bottles quickly.
"Heeeeyyyyy!", Rarity slurred, "IIIIIIIIIi think we are at Tutterfly's, no, Flutterby's, no Blubberfi's, gah! Butterfly butt's place. Let's see if she's home so she can help us find the way to your castle." As they started to walk up to the door, they paused hearing what sounded like the squeak of an animal. Turning their ears, they heard another set of sounds, they were soft moans slowly getting louder.
"let's look elsewhere for somepony to help me find my castle.", Twilight slurred before cracking two more bottles open. As Twilight and Rarity staggered down the path, they drank the two bottles.
Halfway down the path a very, very drunk Twilight and Rarity ran into a very drunk Shining Armor and a tipsy Cadance. "Twilight, did you get lost trying to find the castle?", Cadance asked half laughing.
Twilight shook her head no and said, "Yeah."
A loud moan came from Fluttershy's cottage causing all four inebriated ponies to blink in surprise. Cadance gathered the other three drunk ponies and teleported them out in a bright pink flash to the castle.
As the feast finally ended, Derpy was the only drunk pony who was not seeing double or staggering. She easily made her way home, slipped the key in the lock and passed out on the front step, snoring loudly.
Celestia laid on her back, her belly bloated. she was unable to move. Gesturing weakly with her hoof, she called out, "Luna, help me! I ate too many sweet rolls and now I can't get up." Weakly turning her head, she saw Luna curled up, surrounded by dozens of empty bottles and jugs. Celestia reached out with her wing and nudged Luna, "Luna, wake up. I need help."
"I am Nightmare Booze!", Luna mumbled in a drunken stupor, "And the drunk will last forever...zzzzzzzz"
Celestia put a hoof to her face. "Great, she thinks she's Nighmare Booze again. At least she's passed out this time.", Celestia sighed, "Guards!" Craning her head around, Celestia saw that her guards were afflicted with sweet roll paralysis too. Celestia slapped Luna's rump with her wing, "Luna! Wake your drunk arse up!"
"I am Nightmare Booze and I will banish the sober!", Luna mumbled drunkenly.
Celestia screamed in frustration.
The next morning Luna woke up long enough to lower the moon before passing back out.
In Twilight's castle Rarity woke up hanging half on, half off the map table. Blinking her eyes blearily, she slowly rose to her feet and sat in one of the thrones. Shining Armor was laying on one of the thrones across from her snoring. "Oh my head!", she said weakly, rubbing her temple with her hoof.
Cadance walked in softly from the kitchen with a jug of liquor in her magic. "Hair of the dog?", she asked levitating the jug to Rarity.
"Yes please. You're a life saver.", Rarity whispered taking the jug in her magic magic. Taking a couple of swallows, she knew it would do nothing for her hangover, but it would push it back until she was more awake and capable to deal with it. Placing the jug down, she looked around. "Where's Twilight?", she asked softly.
"After we got back to the castle and you had passed out, she got sick, like really sick.", Cadance said softly, "So me and Shiny helped her to the bathroom. We let her pass out in the tub."
Shining lifted his head with a snort, smacked his lips and looked around disoriented.
"Good morning Shiny!", Cadance whispered cheerily, "Hangover?"
Shining shook his head slowly and said weakly, "Still drunk." He lowered his head and began snoring.
"Now I need to need to figure out where Flurry Heart got off to.", Cadance said softly.
On the balcony outside the castle Flurry Heart was leaning halfway over the railing. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at the few ponies that stopped to look up at her. She groaned softly and closed her eyes going back to sleep.
Fluttershy woke up on the floor in her living room nestled up to a nude Harald. She turned her head and smiled happily at him as he softly buzzed in his sleep. Gently she rose from from in front of him. She looked at his sleeping form, she could clearly see the geometric lines of his tattoos running from his wrists, up his arms, over his shoulders, down the sides his body, across his abdomen, over his hips and down his legs nearly to his ankles. She sighed contently as she drank in his form.
Harald rolled over onto his stomach and felt out with his hand where Fluttershy had been laying next to him. Raising his head, he looked around seeing her smiling down at him. He smiled back at her and rose to his knees.
"Good morning!", Fluttershy practically sang. Fluttershy stepped over to him and pressed her lips to his. After parting the kiss she said, "I'm going upstairs to wash up, you can use the guest bathroom to wash up if you want to. Afterwards I'll make us some breakfast." As they went upstairs, she directed him to the small guest bathroom.
After she finished showering and drying off, she met Harald in the hallway as he exited the guest bathroom. She frowned slightly that he had put his clothes back on after his shower, but she let it pass. His red unbraided hair and beard flowed down his chest and back like a fiery waterfall. As they entered the kitchen, Fluttershy stacked several cushions in one of the chairs so he could sit more comfortably. She walked to the fridge singing, "Ba-dum-buh-dum-dum! You got the music in you! You got to feel the music in you!" She hummed the tune as she swayed her rump and mane in time to the tune.
Harald followed her to the counter and picked up a knife.
Fluttershy looked up at him confused as she stopped humming.
Harald grabbed several strands of his hair and cut them off with the knife causing Fluttershy to gasp. Laying the knife down, he reached over to her mane and wove the shock of red hair into her mane in a single small braid that hung down by her cheek.
"Your beautiful name!", Fluttershy gasped as she ran her hoof where he had cut his hair before moving it to the small braid hanging by her cheek.
"It's a love braid. It's a sign of love and affection amongst my people. It's a way of always having a small piece of myself with you when we can't be around each other physically.", Harald said as he kissed her lips gently.
Fluttershy admired the braid before plucking one of her primary feathers with her teeth. She braided the feather into a section of his hair. "Now a piece of me will be with you when we can't be around each other physically.", Fluttershy said smiling. They embraced and kissed gently. She went back to making breakfast humming a tune happily.